Alas Pilipinas Men kept its dream of a historic Southeast Asia V.League title run alive, fending off a gutsy challenge from Cambodia in a five-set thriller, 25-21, 25-27, 32-30, 23-25, 15-8, on Saturday night in the opening leg of the 2025 tournament held at the Candon City Arena.
Coming off a much-needed rest day, the Nationals showed resilience in the face of adversity, bouncing back from a tough five-set loss to Thailand to force a three-way logjam at the top of the standings. The Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia now sport identical 2-1 slates heading into Sunday’s decisive final day.
But the road to gold became steeper for the host squad, who dropped a costly second set to a Cambodian side that had yet to win a single set in the competition until then. That stumble not only gave Cambodia a confidence boost but also complicated the Philippines' hopes of gaining a favorable tiebreaker in the event of a points or set ratio deadlock.
Alas Pilipinas must now go all out against Indonesia in its final assignment at 6 p.m., while also hoping for a little help from Cambodia, which faces Thailand earlier in the day. A straight-sets or four-set win by the Philippines, combined with either a Cambodian upset or a five-set victory for Thailand, could tip the odds in favor of the Nationals in the final standings.
Despite Cambodia's winless record, the match turned into a drawn-out battle, testing the mettle of the young Filipino squad.
Jade Disquitado delivered a sparkling 15-point performance in the third frame alone, spearheading the Nationals’ dramatic 32-30 win that swung the momentum briefly back to their side. Disquitado capped the extended set with an off-the-block kill, followed by a powerful roof by setter Owa Retamar on Heng Soerun, helping the team regain a 2-1 edge.
Cambodia, however, refused to fold, roaring back in the fourth to tie the match and push the Filipinos to a pressure-packed decider.
But the Nationals would not be denied.
Disquitado, alongside Buds Buddin and Lloyd Josafat, delivered when it mattered most in the fifth, combining for a series of crucial hits to open an 11-5 cushion. That early separation proved enough to keep Cambodia at bay as Alas Pilipinas secured the much-needed victory.
The match was nearly wrapped up in the second set when Josafat’s quick hit and Disquitado’s ace gave the Nationals a 24-23 lead. But Cambodia, led by Muorn Nimul and Soerun, stole the set with a strong finishing kick, reminding the home crowd that no team can be taken lightly in this year’s SEA V.League.
The loss cemented Cambodia’s position at the bottom of the standings in its first-ever stint in the tournament, regardless of the result in its final match.
Earlier in the day, Indonesia outdueled Vietnam in another gripping five-set encounter, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-8, to keep pace in the title race.
Boy Amez Arabi starred with 26 points built on 23 kills and three blocks. Rivan Nurmulki added 23 markers, while Farhan Halim chipped in 20 in a balanced offensive effort for the Indonesians.
Vietnam’s Quoc Du Pham led his squad with 20 points, all but one coming off attacks, as they wrapped up their campaign with a 2-2 record — just outside the title picture.
Now, all eyes are on the final match day in Candon, with gold still within reach for Alas Pilipinas — if they can finish strong and fate favors them.
